Golly! Why is it so hard for us adults to acknowledge when things go well? Why do we seem to obsess over the proverbial late train?

Modern science tells us that gratitude has health benefits across the board. Ancient traditions have been screaming at us to do it for literally thousands of years (see, for instance, the writings of Saint Paul).

Yet, we don't express gratitude much. We go to bed with the same look on our faces no matter the day we had. We quickly move on to the next day. As if the only thing that counts is the next enjoyment.

Okay. So, we adults struggle to be grateful. But we can absolutely improve by using the education trick: teach something to your kid, and you'll get better at it, too.

When I put my daughter to bed, I try hard to remember to do a little retrospective with her.

We've had a good day, haven't we?
How did you like going to the playground?
Didn't that ice cream taste excellent?
It was fun to play with your friend John, wasn't it?

Simple questions help the child (and the dad) develop an attitude of gratitude. Plus, it's super fun to reminisce together on the fun parts of the day.

That's how you deliberately acknowledge the good in your life and solidify good memories.